Final Days
by MarinaMontenegro
Summary: Witness brief moments in the lives of three women following the end of the war.
1. Book 1: Mai

**Book 1: Mai**

 **(The Day The Fire Lord Fell)**

The Fire Nation prison is damp. Walls are covered with a thick layer of grime. The entire prison smells like sea water. That scent was relaxing to her once, reminding her of all those summers spent on Ember Island. Now, the smell is sickening. When you are around a scent long enough, it tends to fade away until you cannot notice it anymore. Somehow, the prison is immune to that effect. It always reeks of the ocean.

There is no way for Mai to know how long she has been here. The lights are always dim, and there seems to be no pattern to when food comes. In the beginning, she tried to keep track of days, but it became impossible.

The very worst of it is the dripping. The entire prison creaks and groans under the weight of the ocean's water, but somewhere nearby, perhaps in the hall or next cell over, there is a small leak.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

Consistent and steady. A minor annoyance at first, but with nothing else to focus on, the dripping became infuriating. Sometimes there are short distractions. Guards might tell a joke as they patrolled the halls, or be humming a tune to themselves, but once their footsteps fade around the corner, the sound is back.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

Mai sits on the floor of her prison cell. Her head rests against the back wall, ignoring the grime getting into her hair. That was when the news broke: "The Fire Lord has fallen."

She can't tell who had said it. The sentence was brief and faint, coming from around the hall. Already, Mai is on her feet, peering out of the narrow window to the hall. She can hear the chaos of guards scrambling a short distance away. They are Fire Nation guards - here to keep enemies of the Fire Nation contained. Guards who now selfishly fled for their own lives, not wanting to be associated with the war crimes they've committed here.

A crowd of red uniforms hurries down her hallway. They do not talk or look into the cells. The guards all head to Mai's left.

Mai sticks her arm through the bars of her cell, grabbing the uniform of one man as he runs past. "Tell me what is going on," Mai demands. She got lucky, the uniform belongs to a young, scared boy. He can't be any older than thirteen. _What is he even doing here?,_ Mai wonders, but she knows the answer. They were losing the war now, and the Fire Lord needed more fighters. Age started to matter less to the Fire Nation, but that wasn't news.

"The Fire Lord was beaten," the boy says. "We have to go. They're coming for us."

"Well, let me out then!" Mai replies. "I'm Fire Nation too."

The boy pulls himself out of Mai's grip. "I'm sorry," he whispers. "There isn't time."

He sprints down the narrow hallway of the prison. His short, thin frame rounds the corner, out of Mai's sight.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

There was silence in the halls. The scrambling of bodies, shuffling of feet - that was over. The guards had left, and Mai was alone in the grimy cell they had locked her in.

As the quiet sets in, other inmates begin to peek out of their cells, calling out for help.

For a moment, Mai thinks she will die here. If help does not arrive she will be stuck. If help does arrive, they may choose not to save the Fire Nation girl. Mai takes a deep breath, centering herself. _Getting out of the cell itself might be possible now_ , she thinks. With no guards around, she has plenty of time to pick the lock, or pry the door open somehow. _Then what?_ Mai asks. She is still too deep underwater to get out of the prison.

"One problem at a time," Mai decides. Step one will be to get out of this cell.


	2. Book 2: Katara

**Book 2: Katara**

 **Two Months After the Fire Lord Fell**

Katara wakes up alone. The space around her is perfectly dark, and completely silent. She pauses for a moment, her straining to hear anything in the night. With her blanket clutched to her chest, she reaches out into the cold air, feeling the space around her. "Sokka!" Katara calls out. "Aang!"

She hears running nearby, and the door to the room bursts open. "What's wrong?" Sokka asks. His hair is frizzy, falling out of his ponytail, and he is wearing only the loincloth he sleeps in. Despite his sleepy state, his boomerang is raised in his hand, ready to fight whatever had caused his sister to scream. Their father arrives behind him a moment later, and gently guides the boomerang down, whispering "hush" to Sokka.

"You are okay," her father says. He crosses the room, taking a seat at the end of Katara's bed. "What troubles you?"

Katara takes a deep breath, calming herself. "It was so quiet," Katara admits. "I don't - I'm not sure why -"

Her father nods, stroking his daughter's hair. "It happens to all of us. Sometimes, coming home is just as hard as the war itself."

Sokka nods in agreement. "When I wake up in the middle of the night, I'm so used to hearing you, Aang, and Toph just being around me. Breathing or snoring… when that's not there, I always think something is wrong."

"It gets better." Her father promises. He kisses her forehead.

As days pass, it does not get better. Katara wakes every night. Sokka begins to sleep in the room, lying on the floor just next to her. She wakes, and she hears him breathing. _It's over,_ she reminds herself. _The people you love are safe. You are home._

Home is different now though. They stay in Gran Gran's house, and around them their small village becomes a city. Every day, boats bring more people to their shore. Pakku, her old Water Bending Master from the North, lives with them as well. He and Gran Gran are happy together - as happy as anyone could with so much change.

Katara goes to the harbor in the morning to watch the men coming off the ships. The air is cold, but Katara is no stranger to that. Still, the warm nights in the Fire Nation are so fresh in her mind that the air stings her face. Her fingers feel numb beneath her mittens, and the fog of her breath is strange to see again. She exhales, watching the cloud of breath fade. She wants to smile, remembering how familiar she had been with her own breath before. Only a year ago, it was normal to watch that tiny cloud fade. She does not smile. Instead, she stands alone to watch the ships come in.

The brow of each ship is extended onto mainland, and men begin to step off. Katara looks at the emotionless faces of the men. She recognizes most of them, having grown up with these men all around her before they left for the war. Most are her father's age, late thirties or early forties. Some are younger than that. They look older, though. They've seen too much of the world to be young anymore. The men shuffle towards their families, accepting the embrace of their wife or children. Then with slow, small steps, they begin to make their way home.

A month after the ships stop coming, families try to return to normal. No one knows normal though; there is no one in the Southern Water Tribe who has known any life other than the war. It's now three months since the war ended, and Katara makes it a routine to stop by the market for fresh fish each afternoon. It helps to have something to do every day. With a basket full of her purchases, she hears laughing children. Following the sound, she finds four young kids in the town square. They throw snow into a pile, attempting to shape a snowman. Only a year ago, those same children spent their days training to be soldiers, ready to fight the fire nation. Now the children worked as a team, carrying a giant snowball over to be the middle of the snowman's body.

"It's nice to see children being children." Pakku was standing beside her. Katara didn't reply. They stood together, watching silently.

"You got more fish," Pakku says, looking in her basket. "They look good. But Katara, you can do more than cook fish, you know. Look around you, the world is healing. It's time you heal too."

"I am fine," Katara replies. "Just… waiting for Aang to come back."

"The Avatar will be busy for quite some time, I imagine. What will you do now, until he returns?"

"I don't know," Katara says. "I think I'm needed here, helping to rebuild our home. I'm just not sure how yet."

"Have you thought about training Waterbenders?" Pakku suggests.

"But I'm the only Waterbender in the South Pole."

Pakku nods. "You were. But the war is over, which means those who fled, those who hid - they will be returning. Many of them haven't had any training at all. They will need a teacher."

"Aren't you a waterbending teacher?" Katara asked.

"I am retired," Pakku said. "And you are, by far, the best student I ever had, Katara. You should consider it."


	3. Book 3: Toph

**Book 3: Toph**

 **6 months after the Fire Lord Fell**

Toph travels back to the Earth Kingdom alone, arriving in Gaoling in the Spring. It is early - so early that the morning air is still cold and the grass is damp with dew. She walks up familiar streets. The whole city is silent in these early morning hours, with only the scratching sound of an elephant rat digging through yesterday's trash for food. The sun has barely begun to rise when Toph finally stops. She stands in front of the residence she was looking for. Although she cannot see it, she knows the sign in reads "Beifong".

The gate pushes open easily, and Toph lets herself inside. She strolled these gardens so many times as a child, but today she is not here to reminisce. She is here to make peace. Following the familiar pathways, she passes the gazebo and the rows of elegant rose bushes. Toph arrives at the front door of the house. Inside, she expects to hear the usual morning routines. The kettle should be whistling, heating water for her mother's morning tea. Her father would be awake already, always up before dawn, reading the morning's news while a servant hurries around him to provide breakfast. Instead, Toph hears silence. She knocks once, but it's already clear no one is here but her. The house is still.

From her pocket Toph extracts a small iron key, unlocking the door herself. The furniture is still in place for the most part. Some of the more expensive art had been removed, but whether it was by her parents or by thieves, Toph has no way of knowing.

She wanders through the empty house. Somehow, it feels colder inside than it did out in the gardens. The door to the kitchen is open, and Toph steps in. The table has a thin layer of dust over it. The stove is cold with cobwebs over the grates; no one has made tea here in a long time. "Yuck," Toph says loudly, wiping the dust and cobwebs onto her shirt, cleaning off her fingers so they can continue exploring the room. The cupboards were mostly empty, with a few dirty plates abandoned on the shelfs.

Her old bedroom is just as she remembers it. Toph reaches out, touching the soft mattress. It's been months since she had a bed to sleep in, and even when she did have a bed - when the gang would stay at inns or hotels together - it was always temporary. This was hers. Toph falls back onto the bed, only to be surrounded by a cloud of dust. "So much for relaxing," Toph grumbles, pushing herself back up.

The rest of the house matched the kitchen and her bedroom: empty, dusty, and cold. Her parent's room, the living room, the dining room, and her father's office were all left to rot. The attic seemed to have become the home of a viper bat, but otherwise the house was empty, and Toph couldn't find any clue to where her parents might have gone.

 _There's nothing here for me,_ Toph tells herself. A voice in the back of her mind reminds her: _nothing ever was_. Still, she has to know what happened here. Her parents never answered the letter that Katara helped her send with Hawky. Toph suspects they never received the letter at all. She lets herself out of her former home, traveling back towards the busier parts of the city, where people were just beginning to wake up for the day.

The market place was quieter than she remembered. People hurry around her, too busy with their shopping or morning commutes to notice the small, seemingly lost blind girl wandering the streets - not that Toph minds being ignored.

Parents hurried their children along the streets. Carts rolled past her, clunking along the unevenly paved cobblestone paths. All around her, people are calling out various products for sale: "Fresh fish here!" or: "Fruits! Fruits for Sale!" or: "Get cabbages while they last!"

Toph ignores them all, arriving at the police station in the center of town. She lets herself into the building, marching up to the front desk. Someone is sitting behind it; she can feel them there, hear them tapping on the desk with their fingertips. Toph does her best to look in the direction of the person, so that they will know they are being addressed. "I'm looking for the Beifong family," Toph says firmly. "Where did they go?"

From across the room, a man laughs. "We're all looking for someone, kid."

Another man shushes the first. "It's a blind girl, sir, take it easy." He says it in a whisper, and Toph could feel the two men fidget uncomfortably in the silence that follows his words.

"I'm blind, not deaf," Toph replies. "Do you know where they are or not?"

"Most of the wealthier families are long gone," the second man says. "A few weeks before the war ended, Fire Nation troops rounded up a lot of the rich folks."

"Where did they take them?" Toph asks.

"We all wish we knew, kid." The first man is addressing her again, but kinder this time. "Everyone in this town has a loved one missing. We have a list of names - people confirmed dead. No Beifongs on it, not yet anyway. But we get new names every day."

"And what about survivors?" Toph asks.

There's silence for a moment, then the second man says, "We send them home when we find them." He is lying. Toph feels it.

"Tell me the truth," Toph demands.

Again, silence. Now the first man talks. "We don't get many survivors here." At least he wasn't laughing anymore.

Toph turns to leave. Another dead end, just like the house was. Just like the letter with Hawky was. Just as Toph pushes open the doors to the station, the second man calls out to her: "Kid! - when we get new names, our chief reads off the list in the town square. Every afternoon. If there's any news, that's where you'll find it."

"Thanks," Toph says without turning around. She takes another step forward, letting the door swing shut behind her. The streets are busy now, with carts and carriages passing by and people hurrying through their days. Toph steps away from the police station, mixing with the crowd.


	4. Book 1 :Mai

**Content Warning: This chapter contains sexual assault.**

 **Book 1: Mai**

 **2 hours after the Fire Lord Fell**

A hairpin - the oldest trick in the book - gets the lock open. She hears the soft click over the incessant dripping. Mai pushes open her cell door, stepping out to the narrow dimly lit hallway. _The exit is to the left,_ she remembers. That was where all the guards went. She should hurry, maybe one submarine is still lingering behind. The hope of one submarine remaining is the only way she could imagine to return to the surface. Unlikely but -

She hears the rattling behind the other cells. Leaving now would mean leaving these people behind. Strangers, probably, but still people. Not just any people either, but enemies of the Fire Nation. Her own enemies too after all she has done.

Mai turns right, away from where she suspects the exit is. Guards always came from the right, so maybe there would be a station over there with keys. Mai hurries down the hall stopping outside a shut metal door: the Warden's office. The door was already unlocked, but the doorknob burns her hand when she touches it. Mai wraps her sleeve around her hand, pulling the door open slowly.

Flames line the walls inside, burning cabinets full of papers and files. Everything that the Fire Nation would not want shared with the rest of the world. The truth of all the crimes committed in this prison was supposed to die here with the prisoners left behind. Mai pulls her shirt over her face, covering her nose and mouth, and enters the room anyway. The heat is overwhelming, and her eyes burn from the smoke. Still, she yanks open the middle drawer of the Warden's desk and plunges her hand inside. This office is identical to her uncle's from when he was the prison Warden at Boiling Rock. If things are as identical as Mai suspects, the keys should be here.

Across the room, a bookshelf crumbles into itself, collapsing into the flames. Mai coughs into her shirt, squinting through the smoke. Her fingers find a cold metal ring that jingles as she pulls it out. There are about forty keys attached, and Mai hopes that she has them all as she dashes out of the office. She slams the metal door behind her, collapsing to her knees. Mai gasps for fresh air. The air down here is far from fresh, but at least it is free of smoke for now.

Forcing herself back to her feet, Mai begins to bang on cells. "Anyone in here?"

"Yes!" a voice calls back. Mai tries each key, shoving it in the lock only to be unable to turn it. Finally, one works, and Mai sighs with relief, pulling open the cell door. A Kyoshi warrior is inside, her makeup smudged and faded. For a moment, they stand off, facing each other. The warrior is hugging a clearly broken arm. Mai leans against the doorway of the cell for support. _I should say something,_ Mai thinks. _Show her I am not here to fight._ Mai tries to form the right words, but when she opens her mouth, her throat burns smoke inhalation. Instead of "I'm here to help", Mai only coughs. Somehow, silently, she must have gotten the point across, because the warrior says "thank you", and they move on.

"There are others," the warrior says. Mai learns her name is Barra. They walk together now, stumbling down the narrow passages. Many of the cells are empty, but they find eight more Kyoshi warriors before finding Ty Lee. "Mai!" Ty Lee said, jumping up from the floor of her cell. As cheerful as ever, Ty Lee throws her arms around Mai's shoulders.

"Come on," Mai says. "We have to keep moving." Mai pushes Ty Lee off gently, and they continue up the halls.

"This is everyone," Barra says. The Kyoshi warriors stand together, nine of them in total.

"Where is Suki?" one of them ask.

"I think they took her to another prison," Barra replies.

"They did," Mai confirms. The Kyoshi warriors all turned to face Mai.

"Yep!" Ty Lee agrees. "She helped with this crazy prison riot and she captured the warden. Then, Azula was going to to destroy everyone there but Mai and I betrayed her and helped them all escape! She's with the avatar now, I think."

The Kyoshi warriors exchange a look with each other. _They don't believe us,_ Mai knows. The whole group stands, thinking silently. No one wants to be the first to accuse, and so no one speaks.

"Come on, the exit is this way," Mai says. She turns away from the group, leading the way down the hall, with the group of women following behind her. She was right - the end of the hall does lead them to a docking point for submarines, but there are no submarines there.

"How do we get out?" one of the Kyoshi warriors ask.

"Someone will come for us," Barra says confidently.

 _But whose side will the be on?_ Mai thinks. She glances at Ty Lee, wondering if her friend is thinking the same thing. Ty Lee is leaning over the end of the dock, peering into the dark water below. It's an act, the cheerful naive attitude that Ty Lee bounces around with constantly, but Mai is still irritated by it. Azula would already have a plan to get out. Azula wouldn't have gotten caught in the first place. But Azula isn't here.

"We could try splitting up?" Barra suggests. "Search the prison and see if there's anything we can use."

The other warriors nod in agreement, diving the prison up. "I'll take the left wing" "I've got right!".

As the women scatter, Mai worries for them. The fire is still burning. What if, in the searching, the find the flames? Surely they would blame the only two fire nation people on board this prison.

Instead, one of the women finds a telegraph, and another finds the guard's cafeteria with enough food to last them a while. The cafeteria becomes their base as they set up the telegraph on the table. "This is bound to reach somewhere!" Ty Lee says. "Does anyone know Morse Code?"

"SOS is dot dot dot, dash dash dash, dot dot dot," Mai says.

"Okay, but I think we should be a little more detailed," Ty Lee replies. "How do we say - _Hello, we are trapped underwater and need help getting back to the surface, please?_ "

Mai rolls her eyes. "Just send SOS."

Ty Lee shrugs. She sits before the telegraph, getting to work on the repeated message. _Dot dot dot, dash dash dash, dot dot dot._ Then again. The rhythmic repetition continued for hours, while the rest of the women sit around useless. They nibble on their food supply and wait. _Dot dot dot, dash dash dash, dot dot dot._ The noise was almost iritating enough to make Mai miss the dripping of her cell.

"I'm going to step out to the hall," Mai announces to no one in particular. She rises from her seat at the cafeteria table. The hallway, unsurprisingly, is just as dreary as the cafeteria. Rust gathers were the walls meet the ceiling. The prison is windowless, and even if there were windows, they'd only gaze out at dark, murky water. _Could be cool to see a fish or something,_ Mai thought. _Anything's better than just more of this metal..._

Rounding the corner, Mai find the next hall beginning to cloud with smoke. She squints, trying to see through the hazy hall. Mai walks forward. The prison hallway gets warmer with each step until, finally, she reaches the corner, where the hall turns towards the warden's office. Ahead of her, flames have begun to spread, and the smoke became thick.

Mai searches the immediate area for something to extinguish the flames, but the halls are only made of metal. The fire won't spread as quickly, but there was also nothing she could use to put the flames out. They would, hopefully, have to die on their own. She hurried back down the halls towards the cafeteria, only slowing down once she reached the first smoke-free hall. The others would need to know about the fire - it will suck the oxygen out of this prison.

Mai reaches the doors of the cafeteria and lets herself back inside. The women all look happy, standing around the telegraph. Ty Lee is no longer seated behind the machine. Now, it's one of the Kyoshi warriors.

"We got a response!" Barra says, grinning at Mai.

"We don't know what it means but… it's something!" the girl behind the telegraph says happily.

"Someone knows we're out here," Ty Lee said. She had moved over to the side of the cafeteria, doing a handstand next to the wall. She swings her feet to the ground, standing up straight to face Mai. "That means someone will find us!"

 _Always the optimist,_ Mai thinks, but she doesn't ruin their joy. She gives them a moment, letting the women celebrate. _How long have we been down here?_ Mai wonders. _How much longer must we wait? How much oxygen do we have left?_

Oxygen. The hopeful room of women almost made Mai forget about the fire, stealing the oxygen away from them. "There's a fire in the hall," Mai says suddenly. Emotionlessly.

At first, the women don't seem to understand. Their smiles fade slowly. "How?" Barra asks.

"The Warden probably started it before he left," Mai explains.

"So you expect us to believe it wasn't you?" one of the other warriors say.

"Mai isn't a bender," Ty Lee says. "Neither of us are!"

"Besides," Barra says. "Mai is just as trapped down here as the rest of us. We need to work together, we can't fight amongst ourselves." Even as Barra says the words, she glares at Mai, trying to read her. "Let's just focus on sealing off this room," Barra says.

They take any spare cloth they can find - using guard uniforms left behind, or else ripping the pant legs and sleeves off their own outfits. From the submarine docks, they dampen the cloths, and then inside the cafeteria, they stuff the cracks of the door with the wet clothes.

"How long do you think we have until we run out of oxygen?" Mai asks. She sits down next to Ty Lee against the back wall of the cafeteria.

Ty Lee shrugs.

Barra sits on the other side of Ty Lee. "Do you really want to know?"

"Just tell me," Mai replies.

"I'd say a full day, a day and a half at most," Barra replies. "Assuming the Fire Nation resupplied oxygen just before they began to evacuate."

"So what should we do now?" Ty Lee asks.

"Nothing. The less we do, the more time we have." Barra leans back against the wall. "If we can sleep, that helps. If we don't talk, that helps."

"Yeah, helps us die of boredom first," Ty Lee mumbles, but she does sit quietly. They all do. The room seems to grow cold, or else Mai is only just realizing how cold it is. Ty Lee rests her head on Mai's shoulder. One Kyoshi Warrior still sits behind the telegraph, randomly sending out another S.O.S. when it seems like too much time has passed.

Mai lays back, eyes closed, with her head against the wall. She can still hear the creaks of the prison, and the beeping of the telegraph every once in awhile. Ty Lee's warm body presses against her own, and she matches her own breathing to her friends. Mai doesn't think she sleeps, but when a sudden, loud splash erupts from down the hall, Mai jumps up feeling like she was rudely awoken.

Everyone is awake now, straining to listen. The Kyoshi Warrior next to Barra whispers, "What could that be?"

 _Perhaps the prison is finally collapsing under the weight of the ocean?_ Mai thinks. She decides not to share her guess with the others. The rushing of water is getting closer, too quickly to be natural. Then, Mai hears the shouting of men. "Put that fire out!" one calls, and his command is followed by a splash right outside the cafeteria door. The fire was so close, and they had not even realized.

"Waterbenders," Mai whispers to Ty Lee.

"Do you think they'll fight us?" Ty Lee asks. Mai can see she is not scared, and Mai envies that about her.

"Everyone sit down," Barra instructs. "The war only just ended, we don't want to startle anyone."

The women sit together. "Water nation means they're the good guys," one of the Kyoshi warriors whispers. Mai and Ty Lee silently exchange a look in disagreement.

The doors to the cafeteria open, and the soldiers push into the room. The spot the women immediately, huddled in the corner. "We've got women, sir!" one of them yells. He's thin and pale, dressed in water tribe clothing. He can't be much older than Mai herself. A man enters behind with a thick beard and a scar on his forehead.

"We got a distress call," the bearded man says.

Barra stands, and the others stand with her. "That was from us. We were abandoned down here."

He looks directly at Ty Lee and Mai as they stand beside the Kyoshi Warriors. "You're working with the Fire Nation. Why would we help you?"

"Um, well we are on your team now," Ty Lee said cheerfully. She held out a hand to them. "I'm Ty Lee, and this is-"

The man struck her hard across the face without warning. "We know who you are."

Ty Lee looked ready to fight back, but Mai places a hand on her shoulder. Violence would not convince the Water Benders to take them to the surface.

"Get the Kyoshi warriors out of here," the bearded man says. "Take them up to the ship."

A few of the girls begin to move, but when Barra did not, they stopped. "Mai and Ty Lee helped us," Barra explained. "If you are ally to the Earth Kingdom, you will help us return the favor."

"I'll give them a chance for passage once I vet them properly," the man promises. This tone was clear; there was to be no further protest. The Kyoshi warriors are led out by the younger boy. Barra was the last to leave, glancing back over her shoulder at Mai and Ty Lee.

"Are you going to kill us?" Mai asks, as apathetically as ever.

"I should," he replies.

"Yeah, well good luck with that," Ty Lee says. She's ready to fight, Mai can feel it.

"If you attack or harm me, then you're stuck down here. I suspect you'll suffocate before you starve - but it'll be a slow death either way." He crosses the room, letting that sink in for them. Now he stands just in front of them both.

"So get to the point then," Mai says. Her eyes narrow, trying to read this man. "What do you want?"

He smiles at Mai, looking her over. "You're Fire Lord Zuko's girl, aren't you." His hand touches her chin, turning her face from one side to the other, taking in her full profile. "Get on your knees."

Mai pulls herself away from his touch, taking a step back. Ty Lee steps defensively to Mai's side. Both women glare at him, but he only grins.

"My family suffered at the hands of the fire nation for years, at the order of his family. Now they bow to him, like he's going to be any better than his father. You're all Fire Nation scum, no matter what the Avatar says." The men steps forward again, undoing the belt of his uniform. "I said, get on your knees, or stay here till the oxygen runs out."

* * *

There is silence between the three of them as they reach the docks of the prison. No vessel is there to carry them, but the man bends the water into flat ice. "Step on," he commands. They both do. The ice descends, bringing them deeper into the ocean, and he bends the water around them to create a bubble of air above the ice. They move through the water under the prison and then begin to rise up towards the surface. Above them, Mai can see light. She can see the sun, centered in the sky, growing closer. Finally, the water surrounding them falls away, and they stand on the block of ice, sliding towards the ships nearby.

Fire Nation ships were cold, metal war machines with sharp edges that stood taller than most homes. Powered by coal and fire, their ships could travel across the great ocean in only a day at full speed. A water nation ship was very different. There were three of them, with blue sails. Each ship (if you could call it a ship, they were closer in to boats in Mai's opinion) was built from wood. The front of the boats curved upwards towards the sky, with hardened sharp wood sticking out of the front, used for cutting ice.

When they were close enough to a ship, the water beneath their ice platform rose, until they were level with the side of the ship. The man steps off first, and Mai and Ty Lee follow. The Kyoshi Warriors were along the side of the boat, and Barra hurried to meet them. "Are you alright?" she asks. Mai gave a single nod.

The bearded man turns away from Mai and Ty Lee and addresses the crew: "Head for the Earth kingdom to drop off the Kyoshi Warriors."

"No," Barra says. "Our duty is to the Avatar now - where is he?"

"Fire Nation," a Water Tribe soldier replies. "For Zuko's coronation this week."

"Can you take us there?" Barra asks. "If it isn't too out of your way."

The soldier checks a map, and shows it to the bearded man. "It's on the way, sir. Closer than the Earth Kingdom would be…"

"Very well," the bearded man replies. "Set the course." At his command, the Water Tribe soldiers aboard the ship set to work raising the sails. The bearded man heads over to the helm. The ship is too small; there is nowhere for Mai to go where she would not have to look at him while he steers the ship toward her home.

Ty Lee slips her hand into Mai's. "Did you hear what he said? Zuko's _coronation_ ," she repeats in a whisper. "If Zuko is Fire Lord, then when he hears about what that man did..."

Mai shakes her head. "We will tell Zuko that my uncle pulled strings to get us out so quickly," Mai replies.

"Why?" Ty Lee asks.

"I will not have Zuko fighting my battles for me. Besides," Mai lowers her voice to ensure that only Ty Lee can hear her. "That man will not make it to the Fire Nation alive."

Ty Lee's face does not betray any emotion, but she gives a small subtle nod. "Tonight?" she suggests.

"Before he goes to sleep," Mai replies. "I want it to be a fair fight when we kill him."


	5. Book 2 :Katara

**Book 2: Katara**

 **15 Years after the Fire Lord Fell**

Katara teaches a waterbending class everyday to twelve students. She wears her hair in the same looped braids in the front, with the rest of it tucked under the collar of her thick blue coat. The war has been over for over fifteen years now, and with every year that passes, the Southern Water tribe looks more and more like the way Gran Gran said it used to - only Gran Gran is no longer with them to see it.

Aang has a beard now. He keeps his head bald, because the children like his tattoos. They have three: Bumi, Kya, and Tenzin. Bumi is seven and does not bend. He's full of energy and questions. Kya is four and already has begun her waterbending training. She is much quieter than Bumi, but holds her own as they roughhouse. The youngest, Tenzin, is only a year old. He hardly ever cries, even when Bumi and Kya are teasing him. The children are fond of pro bending, a new sport that has been getting popular. Lately, they get home from school and head straight to the arena to watch the local team, the South Pole Tiger Seals, practice.

Today, a quiet Sunday, Katara takes the children to watch the pro-bending tournament in town. Kya and Bumi run ahead of her, chasing each other down the street. Tenzin is cradled in Katara's arms, safe from everything except surprise snowballs that Bumi tosses in their direction. One hits Tenzin straight in the face and he fusses. Katara waterbends the snow off him. "Enough snowballs, Bumi," she calls ahead.

"I didn't mean to hit him!" Bumi yells back. Kya slips on some ice, and Bumi uses the opportunity to peg her with a snowball. A moment later, Kya jumps back up, chasing Bumi up the road.

"I'll get you back!" Kya is shouting. She's scooping up handfuls of snow, but doesn't have the dexterity to make good snowball yet, and so the snow crumbles away as she tries to throw it.

"You can't get me," Bumi calls, sticking his tongue out. Kya's face scrunches up in frustration and she lifts her hand. Using her bending, she pushes snow off a rooftop, covering Bumi in a small pile of soft, fresh snow.

"Mom!" Bumi called. "She bended at me!"

"I said enough," Katara repeats. She takes Kya by the hand, and holds Tenzin in her other arm. "Bumi, don't run ahead." He does anyway.

"Mama, I wanna run too," Kya says, trying to shake off Katara's grip.

"Not right now," Katara replies.

By the time she reaches the arena, she's already exhausted. Once the match starts, the children are finally still. They press the face up to the glass, watching eagerly.

"Mama, do you think I can be a Tiger Seal probender one day?" Kya asks.

"If that's what you want to do," Katara replies. "And if you practice your bending."

Kya smiles, turning back towards the game. The announcer speaks over the intercom, introducing the players. "Narri - earthbender! Lin-Hi - waterbender! Gareth - Firebender!"

At the word "firebender", many people booed. Bumi jumped up and down against the glass. "BOO!" he calls out with the crowd.

"Bumi," Katara scolds. "Don't boo."

"He's a firebender, mom," Bumi says back. He says it like it's obvious - of course they should boo. Katara looks around at the rest of the audience. The stadium is almost full. There weren't many kids in the crowd. Most of the people were her own age. They had a long list of reasons to boo a firebender.

Katara pulled Tenzin closer to her. She didn't want to think about what the people in the arena must have suffered. The world had come so far. They have cars in the streets now, radios in almost every home. She didn't want to think about the war, but she looked at those around her and can't help but think: _I lost someone too. The fire nation hurt me too._ She thought of the cold, dark mornings when it was just her and Sokka in their igloo alone, because dad had to left to fight in the war, and the fire nation killed her mother. But Katara could not boo, not when Aang was out trying to bring peace to the world, and so she sits quietly. She ignores the anger that has bubbled up inside her once again, even after all this time.

"Mama, are you sad?" Kya stood in front of her, frowning. She is too wise for someone so young.

"No, honey," Katara says. She kisses her daughter's forehead. "Go watch, the match is about to start."

* * *

When they get home that night, she feeds the children and puts them to bed. In her own room, she lights a lamp and sits down to write to Aang. He's in Republic City now with Sokka, helping with the crime issues they've had going on. Toph is there too, as Chief of the Police force. In her letter, she wishes them all well, and asks Aang to come home soon.

Katara goes to sleep alone. Like every other night, she knows she will wake in a panic, looking for Aang, or else trying to identify phantom sounds. She remembers her father's promise from years earlier, " _It gets better"._ That's what he had told her, seated at the edge of her bed, just weeks after the war had ended. Here she is, fifteen years later. At best, she has learned not to call out for the others. She doesn't wake the children with her screams.


	6. Book 3 :Toph

**Book 3: Toph**

 **Ten Months after the Fire Lord Fell**

In the northern section of Gaoling, Toph rents an apartment just a few blocks from where she was raised. She works on perfecting metal bending techniques, and gets a job teaching at Master Yu's Earthbending Academy. After just one month, she is the most requested teacher at the school. Still, she only takes on four carefully chosen students. On some afternoons, she sits in her parent's gardens to feel the sun on her face. Most days, she goes home and listens to the radio.

The radio is still so new for everyone. High ranking soldiers in the Fire Nation have used radios for years already, but they are becoming household items. Now they were used to bring news, music, and entertainment from around the world. The newly constructed Republic City began to roll them out shortly after the war ended, and Gaoling was one of the first Earth Kingdom cities to embrace the trend.

Toph sits in front of her radio. She hears the reconstruction of the Southern Water Tribe is going well, and she thinks of Katara and Sokka and all they must be doing to help. Republic City is thriving, 'the city of the future', they say, and Toph knows Aang has done so much to build the city. The Fire Nation is on a path of healing, peace, and charity. Criminals and war generals are being arrested and tried for their crimes. Zuko is leading the charge, bringing the Fire Nation back to a respectable and honorable land. Her friends are off changing the world, and she's here looking for parents that she never even got along with.

After the news, the radio reads the names. "Feng, Earth Kingdom soldier. Nenon, Northern Water Tribe. Karri, Northern Water Tribe. Hekaze, Earth Kingdom. Jet, Earth Kingdom. Tilron, Southern Water Tribe."

For the first time since the war ended, Toph hears a name she recognizes. It wasn't news for her; she was there as Jet was dying, but now the world knows. She wonders who else heard his name, who else paused to mourn him. The voice on the radio stops reading names; today's list is over. Toph shuts the radio off. Another day that she has heard nothing of her parents.

Toph makes herself dinner. She eats alone, then lays down to sleep. Her friends are changing the world, and she is waiting. _I might never get the answer,_ Toph thinks to herself. _It's time to move on. Accept it._

Toph rises from her bed, knowing it's the middle of the night. She packs a sack with some clothes and food. It's more than she brought with her last time she left Gaoling; two years ago, when she ran away with Aang, she had no time for packing. She leaves the door to her apartment open as she goes. Gaoling is quiet in the night time, and Toph walks on the empty cobblestoned streets, leaving her city behind her.


	7. Book 1:Mai

**Book 1: Mai**

 **12 years since the Fire Lord Fell**

It is autumn now.

Mai and Zuko wake up in their apartment in Ba-Sing-Se. It's smaller than their home in the Fire Nation, and their summer home in the Southern Water tribe, but they visit the Earth Kingdom the least often. Mai wakes first, but she lays quietly. The morning light has tinted the sky to a light purple, and she watches the leaves fall from the Cherry Blossom tree outside their window. From behind her, a strong arm wraps around her waist. Zuko's face is nuzzled in her neck.

He groans, pulling her closer. "I don't want to get up."

"We can stall another thirty minutes," Mai agrees.

Zuko shakes his head against her back. "Aang is meeting me for breakfast. We have a lot to do."

"Okay," Mai replies. "Then you have to get up."

"I know," Zuko says. He kisses her once, then kisses her again. "What will you do today?"

"I'll take Izumi to the market, probably," Mai replies. "We'll stop by the tea shop."

Zuko fell back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "I wish I had time to stop by the tea shop."

"Bring Aang," Mai suggests. "Have your meeting there."

Zuko laughs. "As much as we would both love that, I think we need to take Appa out to the Fire Nation colonies in the west."

They rise for the day and dress. Mai is still doing her hair when Zuko comes back into the room with Izumi in his arms. Their daughter is laughing, with her small arms wrapped around Zuko's neck. He dressed her for the day in their usual elegant Fire Nation clothes. She looks so much like Azula did as a child, only Izumi smiles so brightly. Her hair is mostly worn down, with thick black locks curling slightly over her shoulders. On the top of her head, she wears a small bun. It was the way that Zuko's mother wore her own hair, and so Zuko styles Izumi's to match.

Zuko swings Izumi around, tossing her onto the bed. The three year old lands happily on the mattress, jumping back up with her arms raised. "Again! Again, Papa!"

"Later," Zuko promises. He kisses Mai's cheek and adds, "It's time I go."

"Good luck," Mai says.

Zuko kisses the top of Izumi's head. "Be good for your mother." Then he is at the door, waving goodbye to them both.

"Bye Papa!" Izumi calls after him.

Mai packs them a small basket to bring. They leave their apartment together, locking the door behind them. Mai and Izumi walk to the monorail station and wait on the platform until the the train arrives. Izumi's hand clings tightly to Mai's and they step onboard. The train is quiet, with only a few passengers. Izumi sits down by the window, her nose pressed against the glass. Mai sits beside her.

An older man sits across from them, reading a newspaper. A little further down the cart, a middle aged couple sits together. The train stopped at another platform, and a woman gets on. She looks to be about Mai's age. Her arms have scars like Zuko's - red and purple burnt skin. Mai's eyes linger for only a moment, and when she looks up, the woman is staring back.

The woman glares, and Mai puts her arm around Izumi. She tries to convey an apology through her eyes. The woman wants to say something, Mai can see it. She wants Mai to feel her anger. The war ended so long ago, but Fire Nation citizens are still rarely in Ba-Sing-Se. They hate me, Mai thinks to herself. She cannot blame them. She holds Izumi close to her, and hopes that they don't say anything. Not in front of her daughter.

When the train doors open, Mai steps off with Izumi in her arms. They stand on the platform of the Upper Ring of Ba-Sing-Se. She lingers for a moment, to make sure no one is following.

"Mama," Izumi says, pointing ahead. "Look, there's a big hole in the wall!" She points to the outer wall, where a round, crumbling hole was. Guards stood on both sides of it, and the area was roped off.

"That's from the war," Mai explains. I did that. Mai thinks of Azula. She wants to say Azula was heartless, cold, even evil, but Mai was right by her side during the war. They were in the drill together cutting through the outerwall. Mai did all those same things. They have every right to hate me.

Mai doesn't dare let Izumi skip ahead. The child fusses, wanting to chase a butterfly she sees in front of her, but Mai refuses to let go of Izumi's hand until they reach the tea shop. The Jasmine Dragon's windows hang open, and Mai can smell the tea already. She walks up the stone steps, pushing the large doors open. The dining room has scattered patrons about, and a waiter turns to them. He smiles - there's no look of hatred from his eyes.

From the back room, the bearded face of Iroh peeks out, and he grins. He comes forward, abandoning his apron on the back of an empty chair. "Oh hello, my two favorite ladies - joining me for tea. Such a nice surprise!" Uncle Iroh smiled, holding his arms open to Izumi.

"Zuko is in a meeting with the Avatar, he was sorry he couldn't make it," Mai explained.

"My nephew has grown into a fine young man," Iroh replied. "I could not be more proud. Come, let us get a pot of ginsing tea, and we will talk."

Izumi found herself some ink and paper, and began to draw quietly at the end of the table. Mai lifts the lid of her basket, pulling out a small bundle of purple berries. "These are for you," Mai says. "I know they aren't easy to find in the Earth Kingdom."

"These will brew into a delicious tea, thank you Mai," Iroh replies.

One of Iroh's staff members appear beside them, placing down a tray with teacups and a small kettle. Iroh takes the kettle, pouring a cup for Mai first, then for himself. Mai updates Uncle Iroh on their lives now: Zuko's success as Fire Lord, Izumi's first year of school back in the Fire Nation. Iroh listens happily, but when Mai finishes, he reaches out, taking her hand.

"You have said nothing of yourself," Iroh pointed out. "How are you, Mai?"

Mai looks away, glancing over the customers of his tea shop. "It's hard," Mai admits. "I look around a city like this one, and I know everyone here hates me. I know everyone has a good reason to."

Iroh sips his tea, and then looks at Izumi, who was still focused on her drawing. "It is our children that provide us with the greatest hope," Iroh says quietly. "The war is over, but now - we still fight to make the world a better place for them. We cannot help the world we were born into, Mai. Look at Zuko, he spent years hunting the Avatar only to turn everything around. It's never too late to find your true destiny."

"These people don't want or need my help," Mai says. "I don't know how to make things better."

"The important thing is that you try," Iroh replies. "I make tea all day, but I think, in a small way, it brings people joy. That is what is most important."

"Mama," Izumi says. She climbs up onto Mai's lap, holding up her drawing. "Look."

The ink was not yet dry, and began to drip along the page. She drew several houses, surrounded by a large thick circle. "So pretty," Mai says, patting her daughter's head. "What is it?"

"That's the city." Izumi points to all the houses - just boxes with tiny door shapes. Her finger begins to trace the circle around them. "That's the wall. I fixed it so it's not broken anymore."

Iroh sips his tea silently, smiling.


	8. Book 2:Katara

**Book 2: Katara**

 **54 Years After the Fire Lord Fell**

The winters seem to have gotten colder over the years. That was not the only difference, though; so much had changed. Homes were heated now - a great change for the frozen Southern Water Tribe. Every family owns a radio, many even own telephones. Katara has a stove in her kitchen, and they even have a car parked outside their house.

The family has changed too. Bumi and Kya were no longer rowdy children running in the streets, and Tenzin no longer able to fit in Katara's arms. Bumi is off in the Si Wong desert fighting a tribe of violent Sandbenders with the United Forces. He calls home once every other week, letting his mother know he's doing well. Kya was with her girlfriend, Varra, traveling the world. A letter Katara received a week ago said the couple was happily exploring Chameleon Bay. Tenzin was living in Republic City with his longtime girlfriend, Lin Beifong. Katara and Aang were eagerly waiting for Tenzin to propose so that Lin and Toph could _really_ be part of the family (even though everyone agreed they already were family to them).

Then there was Aang, sixty six years old and still off being the Avatar. This week, he was in the Northern Water tribe, as an honored guest at the wedding of the chief's son, Unalaq. Aang never could settle down, and for years that was the hardest part of their relationship. Every time a problem came up, the world looked to the Avatar to solve it. Aang spent months at a time away from home saving the world, and when Tenzin was old enough, Aang took him too. 'I have to pass on the culture of the air nomads,' Aang had insisted. For years, every night in her empty bed would pull up the fear of abandonment she was left with as a child. Losing her mother, her father leaving - all of those nights wondering when Sokka would have to go fight in the war too - they would replay in her mind until sunrise.

On this particularly cold night, Katara sat in front of her fireplace. Her hair had grayed over the years, but she still wore her braids. Her skin wrinkled with age as well. She was young enough, not even in her seventies yet, but Katara was beginning to learn the effects of time. The radio plays on a low volume. An announcer giving updates on a pro-bending match that had just gone into overtime. She doesn't follow the teams, but the sound reminds her of when the kids were young. They used to listen to probending so eagerly. The house is too quiet now.

There's a knock on her door. Three quick raps, then silence. The snow is falling heavily outside; no one would randomly visit this late, in this weather. Katara rises from her chair. She can feel her heart beating faster. Instinct tells her not to open it, to leave the door locked and act like no one is home. _Don't be silly,_ Katara tells herself. Still, she pours a jug of water first. Her hands shake with the weight, and she shuffles over by the doorway, setting the jug onto the end table next to the door.

A deep, low groan can be heard from outside. Appa. Her heart soars, _Aang is home_. He's home a few days early. But, she realizes, Aang would not knock.

She fumbles with the lock. When she pulls the door open, it's Sokka who stands in the doorway. "Sokka!" Katara starts, but the joy quickly leaves her voice as she sees him: his face, the slight frown, the bloodshot eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Can I come in?" Sokka asks. Katara steps back, peering out into the snowy night. Appa is in front of the house, laying sadly on the snow.

"What is it? Where's Aang?"

"Aang," Sokka repeats his name back to her. "Katara, Aang…" His voice cracks.

Katara holds the table for support. Too much weight is placed on the table, and it slides forward, the jug of water crashing to the floor. Katara leaves the glass there and ignores the puddle. With all her strength, she makes it over to her chair in front of the fire. "What happened?" she asks.

"After the wedding, we all went to sleep and in the morning," Sokka paused, taking a deep breath. Tears came down his cheeks, and he went on. "In the morning, Aang didn't wake up."

"What happened?" Katara asked again. She was crying too, and Sokka took her hand.

"The healers said it was old age," Sokka says. "There was nothing we could do."

"He's younger than me!" Katara yells. That wasn't true though. He isn't really sixty six years old. Aang is - was - one hundred sixty six years old. Sokka didn't argue with her. He puts his arm around his sister, and they cry together for a long while.

In the morning, Kya arrives. She lets herself in, hugs mother and uncle, and she makes breakfast. Katara hasn't slept. Neither has Sokka. When she returns from the kitchen, she places a plate of food in front of each of them. "Mom," Kya says softly. "Bumi and Tenzin are going to be here this afternoon."

Katara doesn't respond.

The world outside their home is frantic. Every newborn baby is praised and held up. "Could this infant be the new Avatar?" The world looks forward. The Avatar is dead, and a new Avatar will take his place. Everyone is eager to see who this person will be, what they will do. As the radio hosts remind everyone, "He'll be born in the water tribe for sure, that's the next stage of the cycle!". Another says how fitting it is that Aang died at a Water Tribe wedding while the next Avatar is born in that same tribe, that same night. They laugh: "his spirit didn't have very far to go!"

No one seems to think of his family. No one else seems to be mourning. No one seems grateful that Aang saved the world.


	9. Book 3:Toph

**Book 3: Toph**

 **92 Years after the Fire Lord Fell**

Toph never expected to live the longest. Age hits her hard. Walking becomes a challenge, with her joints aching every step, weakening her awareness of the surroundings. Living in the Foggy Swamp becomes an obstacle course. Toph regretfully moves back into the city.

Opal, her granddaughter, is the one who convinces Toph to move into her house in Gaoling. Opal lives in the city with her husband, Bolin, and their daughter, Naoki. Opal says she chose Gaoling because she just likes the city, but Toph knows that is a lie. She suspects Opal just wanted to be closeby. She's a good granddaughter; Toph admits this even if she is still hesitant to admit the need for help.

In the morning, the dew on the grass freezes. The air has an extra pinch of winter chill. In their small home near the center of the city, Toph waits by their front door. Opal stands by the door, buttoning her own jacket. She insists Toph wear boots while going outside today. Toph protests, but the battle is lost; she's in too much pain to walk alone, and Naoki won't take her otherwise. With the boots fastened, Naoki guides Toph by the arm. Naoki gossips about her classmates. Twice, Toph is too tired to walk. Naoki pulls a bench of stone straight from the ground where Toph rests for a few moments. Even for a fifth year student, Naoki has becoming a talented earthbender. Despite her incessant chatter, Toph is proud. In the middle of one of Naoki's stories, Toph hears the creaking of a rusty gate. She interrupts to ask: "Are we at the gardens?"

Toph can smell her mother's roses and hear the splashing of turtle ducks in the pond, even in the cold weather. Even before Naoki says, "Yep!" Toph knows the answer.

"Let me sit by the pond," Toph says. She tries to pull away from Naoki; she knows the way to the pond herself. Naoki does not let her go, but guides her over to the bench and helps her sit.

Toph misses mobility, the freedom of walk on her own. She wants to say: " _I carry my own weight_ " like she always used to. Her own weight, her own pride, her own fears - for so long she has carried that all on her own. Not forever though. She remembers the scared little twelve-year-old, masked in a brave face as she ran away from her parents with Aang, Katara, and Sokka. For a few months, they all shared the weight and the fears - they shared everything. They were children fighting a war they were far too young to fight. Somehow, looking back, those months were the best of her life. After the war, they went their separate ways. The more time went on, the less they saw of each other. Toph never did get the chance to tell them all how much those few months meant to her. How, despite her insistence that she could hold her own, their support meant so much to her.

Aang was the first pass away, young and well before the others. Everyone talked about what a surprise it was, how he was only 66 years old. For Aang, though, his death wasn't a surprise. It was at the Earth Kingdom Conference that they last saw each other, three months before he died. Toph greeted him with, "How are ya, Twinkletoes?"

He didn't bother her about the nickname. He just said, "Good. How are you?"

Toph ignored his question. "I know you're lying. What's wrong?"

Aang, with all his spiritual connections, knew when his spirit was ready to move on. He felt it even when his body didn't. His life was coming to an end. "Don't tell anyone yet," Aang said. "I don't want Katara to find out." Toph remembers thinking he should tell her but it was none of her business. _I understand now,_ Toph thinks. She, too, hopes to go quietly.

Unfortunately, Toph never really learned how to deal with death. She still doesn't. How strange, to sit in the cold by the turtle-duck pond, thinking of all those years ago. She had so many years now to learn to embrace death. To think about how Aang must have felt in that moment, admitting that his life would come to an end. What could anyone say to help with that? _Anything,_ Toph thinks. _I should have said something to comfort him, instead of standing there stupidly_.

Aang must have known that Toph didn't know what to say, because he continued talking on his own. He had plans to work with the White Lotus to prepare for the new Avatar. It had been 166 years since Aang was born. Toph doesn't have that burden. She doesn't worry that the world won't carry on without her.

Toph didn't think that would be the last time they saw each other. They attended the conference, and when it came time to leave, Toph smirked, delivering a swift punch to his shoulder. "See ya around," Toph had said. Looking back, perhaps Aang knew that would be it. When he said, "See you, Toph," there may have been a hint of sadness behind his voice. She wished she'd have noticed it back then.

* * *

Sokka died fifteen years after Aang. Zuko lived another twelve years after that, passing away peacefully in his sleep at age ninety four. Eleven years after Zuko, Katara passed away at 103 years old after the birth of her third great-grandchild. Toph attended each of her friends funerals. She's been on her own for fifteen years now.

Toph realizes she has been sitting on the bench by the pond for a while. Her toes are beginning to feel the cold, even in the boots Opal made her wear. Naoki is still next to her, humming softly.

"You're paying attention in school," Toph says. She meant it as a question, but it came of as more of a command somehow. Raising children was never something that came easily to her. She never did get around to actually raising her family. Another regret on her list.

"Yeah," Naoki replies. "We're learning about the war now. Your name is in the book, and everyone said: _Beifong? Are you related?_ And I got to say yes, that's my great-grandma. She was best friends with the old avatar!" Toph smirks. She was always proud that Opal kept her last name. Being a Beifong still meant something in this world - it was the one true constant in her life.

Then, Toph asks: "You read about the war in some book?" It strikes her as funny, even though it makes sense. Toph doesn't mention Naoki's comment about the "old avatar". She knows that Naoki, like so many other young people, idolize Avatar Korra. She is Naoki's Avatar the way that Aang will always be Toph's. She can't blame them for moving on, even when she has not.

"Uh, yeah," Naoki answers Toph's question. The question had confused her great-granddaughter. Toph tries to imagine what a history textbook might look like. What is it like to read about the war? She could ask Naoki to read from the book aloud, but that would only be upsetting. People today don't know what the world was like. Every year, those who truly remember pass on. Of the few who faced the Fire Lord himself, only Toph remains. _When I die, no one will be left. No one will remember._

Naoki watches Toph shiver. "It's cold out here, grandma. Maybe we should head back."

Toph rises, letting her great-granddaughter lead the way back home.

The gate of the Beifong residence closes behind them. It does not open again.

* * *

 **The End**

 **Story by: Marina Montenegro**

 **Follow more of Marina's work by following them on face book, MarinaMontenegro (find the link in the profile).**


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